We welcome the Government's recognition that
scientific excellence is only part of the wealth creation and
quality of life enhancement processes. We welcome its emphasis
on helping manufacturing and service companies to innovate and
adopt new technologies. We support the view that to be a successful
nation we must have the facility to quickly transform scientific
discovery into useful products and services. Successful exploitation
will create the wealth that is required to improve our society
and sustain our scientific endeavour.

We are concerned, however, that the Government
does not fully appreciate or understand the vitally important
role of engineering in the innovation process and the successful
exploitation of scientific knowledge. The White Paper strongly
indicates that it is excellent science that automatically leads
to innovation and market success. Whilst it is the work carried
out by scientists that produces new knowledge and understanding
of what exists, it is the combination of this with engineering
knowledge through the process of "engineering" that
transforms such knowledge into commercially successful, useful
products and services.

It is this successful exploitation of scientific
knowledge (ie innovation) that has long been a major weakness
within the UK's economy. As a nation, we have long been very good
at invention, but much less effective at innovation. We broadly
support the view that the Government, and business, should do
far more to support the Science Base and its basic research. However,
when we contrast the UK's performance with that of other technologically
advanced countries we believe that far too little is being done
to encourage a greater take up of engineering within schools and
universities and corresponding investment in engineering research
and facilities within universities and industry. It is only by
such encouragement that we will get the much needed flow of high
quality engineers and innovative products and services into all
areas of the UK economy, and begin to close the competitiveness
gap that is growing between the UK and other nations.

Much as we welcome efforts to improve the links
between universities and industry, we do not accept that universities
alone can be expected to turn scientific knowledge into national
wealth. That is a role for all organisations in the knowledge
economy, and in particular those most familiar with the needs
of global markets, and they will all need more professional engineers
to make it happen.

For this to occur there needs to be a cultural
change across society. It will no longer be appropriate to think
of science as embracing engineering and technology. Instead we
must more proactively encourage innovation and the exploitation
of knowledge through professional engineering. We therefore suggest
as a first step that government appoint a Chief Science and Engineering
Advisor to guide government policy and strategy on the future
focus for scientific research and its exploitation to improve
national wealth.